Media: Drone attack on RAF Akrotiri base could have been guided via Google Maps

The attackers who launched a drone at the British airbase RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus may have used Google Maps to select their target, according to the British newspaper The Times.

According to the publication, it is assumed that the drone was launched by the Hezbollah group from Lebanon and was aimed at American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft located at the base. These aircraft were visible on publicly available satellite imagery.

Military sources noted that the precision of the strike is concerning, but it likely does not involve a sophisticated intelligence operation. According to one source, the perpetrators could have navigated using open maps and GPS.

Satellite images available online show two U-2 aircraft parked next to the hangar that was reportedly the target of the attack.

Experts note that services like Google Maps can blur or hide images of sensitive sites at the request of governments, but at the time of publication, the aircraft were still visible on the map.

Former British Army officer Justin Crump stated that the availability of such images could have significantly facilitated guiding the drone to its target. He noted that the use of open satellite maps for attacks has occurred previously in various conflicts.

It was also previously reported that the drone might have used the Russian Kometa-B navigation system, previously found on drones used in the war in Ukraine.

The head of the British Armed Forces, Tony Radakin, confirmed that the attack on the base in Cyprus was carried out from Lebanon by a group linked to Iran.